I'm so smart, too bad I can't get anything figured out
I'm so brave, too bad I'm a baby
I'm so fly, that's probably why it
Feels just like I'm falling for the first time."
--Barenaked Ladies, "Falling for the First Time."
My bike race on Saturday was a bit of a joke… I got dropped by the peloton at the first climb. My heart rate monitor almost exploded. I chased for about 5 miles, found another group that had been dropped and we worked together to try to catch the pack, but they were out of sight. Jumping into bike racing towards the end of the season is humbling. As a relatively successful triathlete I expected I would be able to “hang” for at least one lap of the course. Not so! Bike racing is a completely different beast.
Nonetheless, I was in Shenandoah with my bike, so there was still fun to be had. This was my “race recovery ride.”
I drove east from Luray on Route 211 to Skyline Drive and entered the park at Thornton Gap, near mile marker 31. I biked south.
14 miles from Marker 31 to 45: One hour ten minutes. 1100 feet of gain in the first 5 miles! But… it would all be worth it for the second half of the ride!
14 miles from Marker 45 to 31: Forty minutes. Lots of “whee.” Top speed 53 mph. At times it felt like skiing! The 11-year-old tomboy who crashed skateboards and built forts came to life.
Mile Marker 45:
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